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Northern Fairfield County, CT

News
2.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Westchester County 2.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Westchester County
2.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Westchester County An overnight earthquake startled some residents and shook buildings in Westchester. The United States Geological Survey said it had a magnitude of 2.2, was centered near the border of Hastings-on-Hudson and Yonkers, about 18 miles north of midtown Manhattan, and was felt at around 1:53 a.m. Friday, May 19. An interactive map of the quake by the USGS is available here and in the image above. There have not been any reports of injuries or damage. The USGS received a report of someone feeling the quake as far away as Northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the city of Danbury. …

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
New Bethel Eatery Praised As 'Five-Star Michelin Quality Restaurant' New Bethel Eatery Praised As 'Five-Star Michelin Quality Restaurant'
New Bethel Eatery Praised As 'Five-Star Michelin Quality Restaurant' A new American fusion restaurant in Northern Fairfield County has delighted diners in the months since its launching. Dragonfly, located in Bethel at 55 Stony Hill Road, opened its doors to the public in November of 2022.  Already, the cozy cottage-style eatery has gotten rave reviews for its selection of dishes and intimate atmosphere. Posted by Dragonfly on Thursday, December 8, 2022 "Fantastic dinner," wrote Joann A. of Danbury on the restaurant's Yelp page. "Great vibe & can't wait to dine outside." She noted that she enjoyed her crab cake appetizer and scallop with risotto en…

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by Sophie Grieser
News
2 Dead In Suspected Bethel Murder-Suicide 2 Dead In Suspected Bethel Murder-Suicide
2 Dead In Suspected Bethel Murder-Suicide Yelling coming from a home in Northern Fairfield County led police to discover two people shot inside. The incident took place in Bethel around 11:50 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 31 on Reservoir Street. The Bethel Police Department received a call about yelling coming from a home. When officers responded, they found a man and woman inside the home suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, said the Bethel Police Department. Officers began treating the couple, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The man was taken to Danbury Hospital where he was also pronounced dead. The iden…

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by Kathy Reakes
Weather
Severe Storms Moving West To East With Downpours, Strong Winds, Isolated Tornadoes Possible Severe Storms Moving West To East With Downpours, Strong Winds, Isolated Tornadoes Possible
Severe Storms Moving West To East With Downpours, Strong Winds, Isolated Tornadoes Possible Severe storms with heavy downpours and strong gusty winds are moving through the region from west to east late Monday afternoon, Sept. 5. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with locally as much as 5 inches, are expected across much of the area, the National Weather Service said, adding that "this may result in flooding of urban and poor drainage areas." Areas where excessive rainfall leading to rapid onset flooding are most probable are shown in red in the image above. A Flood Watch is in effect until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6. In Connecticut, a potent cell in Northern Fairfield County promp…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Investigation Underway After Off-Duty Cop Kills Beloved Bear In Fairfield County Investigation Underway After Off-Duty Cop Kills Beloved Bear In Fairfield County
Investigation Underway After Off-Duty Cop Kills Beloved Bear In Fairfield County State officials are investigating after the fatal shooting of Bobbi the Bear by an off-duty police officer in Northern Fairfield County. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and local police are investigating after the bear, a mother to two cubs, was found shot and killed in Newtown on Thursday, May 12. Bobbi, who was beloved by the Newtown community, was shot by an off-duty Ridgefield Police Department officer who was reportedly protecting his chicken coop at his home in Newtown.  The Ridgefield PD issued the following statement: "We are aware that on…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Man Rescued From Fairfield County Trench Collapse By Rescuers Who Dug By Hand At Times Man Rescued From Fairfield County Trench Collapse By Rescuers Who Dug By Hand At Times
Man Rescued From Fairfield County Trench Collapse By Rescuers Who Dug By Hand At Times A worker is in serious condition after being buried up to his neck in a trench collapse that had rescuers digging by hand at times to save the man. The incident took place in Northern Fairfield County around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11 in Bethel on Budd Drive in the Stony Hill district. Stony Hill firefighters arrived on the scene and found a man buried up to his chin in a 13-15 foot trench that had collapsed, said Assistant Chief Patrick Magyar, of the Stony Hill Fire Department. The man was conscious and talking when rescuers arrived on the scene, Magyar said.  Once additional…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Storm With Damaging Winds Knocks Out Power To Thousands In Connecticut Storm With Damaging Winds Knocks Out Power To Thousands In Connecticut
Storm With Damaging Winds Knocks Out Power To Thousands In Connecticut A line of strong storms with damaging wind gusts left thousands without power in Connecticut overnight. At around midnight on Tuesday, March 8, about 9,000 outages were reported statewide. By daybreak Tuesday, power had been restored to most. Eversource reported around 1,300 outages at 7:30 a.m., with the most in Winchester (249) in Litchfield County, and Ridgefield (204) in Northern Fairfield County. United Illuminating reported 17 total outages at 7:30 a.m.

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Crash Update: I-84 Partially Reopens After Hours-Long Closure Crash Update: I-84 Partially Reopens After Hours-Long Closure
Crash Update: I-84 Partially Reopens After Hours-Long Closure A section of I-84 has reopened following a fiery rollover crash by a tractor-trailer that spilled lumber across the roadway in Northern Fairfield County. As of 3 p.m., westbound lanes of travel had reopened, with eastbound lanes still closed to traffic, state police said.  The crash took place just before 7:15 a.m., Tuesday, March 30 near Exit 13 in Newtown, Connecticut State Police said. All lanes of travel were closed between Exits 11 to 13 due to the crash in Newtown and Southbury, which caused a large fuel spill, state police said. Flames started shooting from the overturned…

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by Kathy Reakes
Weather
Quick-Moving Storm Brings Several Inches Of Snowfall To Much Of Region: Here's How Much Fell Quick-Moving Storm Brings Several Inches Of Snowfall To Much Of Region: Here's How Much Fell
Quick-Moving Storm Brings Several Inches Of Snowfall To Much Of Region: Here's How Much Fell The second winter storm in the first days of the new year brought accumulating snowfall to much of the region overnight Sunday, Jan. 3 into Monday, Jan. 4. While New York City and Long Island the immediate surrounding suburbs saw all rain with some sleet mixed in, some areas in upstate New York saw as much as half a foot of accumulation, including reports of 6 inches in Sullivan County. In Northern Fairfield and Litchfield counties, generally, 2 to 3 inches of accumulation fell by Monday morning. Similar totals were reported in areas just north of I-84 in New York State, with between …

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
10 Hospitalized Following Seven-Vehicle Route 7 Crash 10 Hospitalized Following Seven-Vehicle Route 7 Crash
10 Hospitalized Following Seven-Vehicle Route 7 Crash Ten people were hospitalized following a seven-vehicle crash in Northern Fairfield County. The crash took place around 5:10 p.m., Friday, Dec. 11, on southbound Route 7 in the area of Exit 11 in Brookfield. When Brookfield firefighters, with help from the Danbury Fire Department, arrived on the scene, they found seven vehicles that had crashed into each other. Paramedic ambulances 18-1 and 18-3 responded with Engines 4, 22, and Rescue 3 from Brookfield. Rescue 1, Engine 23, and four ambulances from the City of Danbury also responded. Overall, 12 people were evaluated for injuries, and 10 …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
COVID-19: New Cases Confirmed At School District In Fairfield County COVID-19: New Cases Confirmed At School District In Fairfield County
Covid-19: New Cases Confirmed At School District In Fairfield County A pair of schools in Northern Fairfield County have become the latest to deal with newly confirmed COVID-19 cases. The Ridgefield Public School District announced that Scotts Ridge Middle School and East Ridge Middle School were transitioning to remote learning on Monday, Oct. 26, after there were multiple positive cases confirmed in each school. The buildings will be closed to allow the district to complete contact tracing and to sanitize any areas that could have been exposed to the virus. There have also been confirmed cases at Ridgefield High School, which forced dozens into quarantin…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Douglas Vane, Longtime Police Sergeant In Brookfield, Dies Douglas Vane, Longtime Police Sergeant In Brookfield, Dies
Douglas Vane, Longtime Police Sergeant In Brookfield, Dies A Westchester native who was a longtime police officer in Northern Fairfield County has died. He was 75. Retired Brookfield Police Department Sergeant Douglas Neil Vane, a native of Yonkers, died peacefully at Danbury Hospital on Thursday, Aug. 13.  After serving as an MP in the U.S. Army, Vane worked as a police officer for 35 years, served as Chief of the Candlewood Lake Patrol and served an additional 5 years as a special officer, according to the Brookfield Police Department.  He was active in the police union and the Police Benevolence Association and served as a patrol supe…

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by Christina Coulter
Police & Fire
Tractor-Trailer Crash Causes Heavy Delays On I-84 Stretch In Danbury Tractor-Trailer Crash Causes Heavy Delays On I-84 Stretch In Danbury
Tractor-Trailer Crash Causes Heavy Delays On I-84 Stretch In Danbury This story has been updated. There were heavy delays during the morning commute on a stretch of I-84 after a tractor-trailer crashed off the roadway. The left lane was closed for several hours on the westbound side in Northern Fairfield County at Exit 3 in Danbury at Route 7 south starting around 6 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18. Route 7 was accessible but down to one lane.  Motorists were advised to use caution in the area, the Danbury Fire Department said.

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by Daily Voice
Obituaries
Ridgefield's Brooke Blake, 12, Remembered For Her Never-Ending Smile Ridgefield's Brooke Blake, 12, Remembered For Her Never-Ending Smile
Ridgefield's Brooke Blake, 12, Remembered For Her Never-Ending Smile A 12-year-old Northern Fairfield County girl known for her never-ending smile and brave battle against a rare form of cancer has succumbed to the disease. Brooke Blake, whose smile lifted many in Ridgefield as she fought the rare form of brain cancer, DIPG, for more than five years, died on Thursday, June 4. Brooke, who turned 12 in May, was diagnosed with the untreatable form of pediatric brain cancer in 2015 when she was 7-years-old.  For the next five years, she endured numerous brain procedures, rounds and rounds of chemotherapy, and several clinical trials, the whole time wi…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
COVID-19: Bethel Shark Sightings Providing Much-Needed Relief For Many During Pandemic COVID-19: Bethel Shark Sightings Providing Much-Needed Relief For Many During Pandemic
Covid-19: Bethel Shark Sightings Providing Much-Needed Relief For Many During Pandemic Two giant blue sharks are making a big difference in Northern Fairfield County town, bringing joy to folks of all ages amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The two social-distancing mysterious sharks began showing up randomly in Bethel, jumping and skipping down the streets, making sneak appearances at little kids' birthday parties, stopping by the hospital or fire stations just to offer a smile and inject a little fun during these dreary times of COVID-19. Heck, a Facebook page has even been started to track the two, reportedly anonymous high school and college students. Word i…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
COVID-19: Bethel Cinema Closes After 15 Years Of Being In Business COVID-19: Bethel Cinema Closes After 15 Years Of Being In Business
Covid-19: Bethel Cinema Closes After 15 Years Of Being In Business A favorite movie theater in Northern Fairfield County has fallen victim to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, announcing that after 15 years in business, it is forced to close its doors for good. The owners of the Bethel Cinema, Ken Karlan and Pam Karpen, made the announcement in a letter to the public posted on Facebook. "The world has thrown us a curveball and now we are all together (though very much a part) in this shared experience," they said. The couple said that due to the current pandemic and economic strife that goes with it, the continued operation of Bethel Cinema,…

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by Kathy Reakes
Weather
Here Are Brand-New Snowfall Projections For Fast-Moving Weekend Storm Here Are Brand-New Snowfall Projections For Fast-Moving Weekend Storm
Here Are Brand-New Snowfall Projections For Fast-Moving Weekend Storm Click here for an updated story: New Snowfall Projections Increase As Strong Winter Storm Approaches Area Brand-new snowfall projections have been increased for the fast-moving winter storm that will create hazardous driving conditions over a broad area this weekend. The storm is expected to arrive early Saturday afternoon, Jan. 18 and wind down during Saturday evening. During that time, travel conditions are expected to be hazardous.  A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for most of the region from 10 a.m. Saturday until 1 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 19.  Although most areas w…

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by Joe Lombardi
Weather
Frost Advisory Expanded To Include Northern Fairfield County Frost Advisory Expanded To Include Northern Fairfield County
Frost Advisory Expanded To Include Northern Fairfield County This story has been updated. The length and coverage area of the Frost Advisory issued just days away from the start of May have both been expanded. The advisory, for areas where the growing season started, is now in effect from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday, April 29, and now includes Northern Fairfield County as well as Putnam County, Dutchess and Orange counties in the Hudson Valley. It will be cold overnight with lows across the area dropping down to as low as the upper 20s farthest north and the mid to upper 30s elsewhere.  Sensitive outdoor plants may be damaged or killed if lef…

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by Joe Lombardi
Weather
Frost Advisory Expanded To Include More Of Hudson Valley, Fairfield County Frost Advisory Expanded To Include More Of Hudson Valley, Fairfield County
Frost Advisory Expanded To Include More Of Hudson Valley, Fairfield County This story has been updated. The length and coverage area of the Frost Advisory issued just days away from the start of May have both been expanded. The advisory, for areas where the growing season started, is now in effect from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday, April 29, and now includes Northern Fairfield County as well as Putnam County, Dutchess and Orange counties in the Hudson Valley. It will be cold overnight with lows across the area dropping down to as low as the upper 20s farthest north and the mid to upper 30s elsewhere.  Sensitive outdoor plants may be damaged or killed if lef…

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by Joe Lombardi
Weather
Frost Advisory For Northern Fairfield As Coldest Night In Six Months Nears Frost Advisory For Northern Fairfield As Coldest Night In Six Months Nears
Frost Advisory For Northern Fairfield As Coldest Night In Six Months Nears The heavy rainfall and gusty wind that swept through the area Thursday into Friday not only led to flooding and some power outages, but signaled a big change in the weather pattern. That's because the moisture from Tropical Storm Michael that moved up from the south collided with a cold front from the north. As a result, get set for the coldest night since April. Lows will fall into the mid-30s overnight Saturday into Sunday across the interior, where frost advisories have been issued.  Those advisories are in effect for some parts of the region, including Putnam, Orange and Northern Fair…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Some Customers Could Be Without Power For Days, Eversource Says Some Customers Could Be Without Power For Days, Eversource Says
Some Customers Could Be Without Power For Days, Eversource Says As the recovery from Tuesday's storm continues, Eversource officials are reporting it has restored power to 75,000 customers statewide, but thousands more could expect to be out of power for at least a couple more days, officials said. The overwhelming majority of such cases will be in Northern Fairfield County, which was hit hardest. Mobility seems to be the biggest issues in restoration, said Frank Poirot, spokesman for Eversource. "Our efforts are being hampered by so many downed trees, blocked roads, and live wires," he said. "In severe cases, we are working with local of…

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by Kathy Reakes
Weather
Storm Watch: Latest Update On Timing, Projected Snow/Ice Totals Storm Watch: Latest Update On Timing, Projected Snow/Ice Totals
Storm Watch: Latest Update On Timing, Projected Snow/Ice Totals List of school closures, delays in Hudson Valley List of school closures in Fairfield County List of school closures, delays in Bergen, Passaic counties Here's the latest update on the latest winter storm moving through the area Wednesday morning through the afternoon. Winter Weather Advisory for Northern Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Dutchess, Northern Fairfield, Western Bergen County, Passaic County, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations of up to 2 inches, with localized amounts up to 5 inches across the extreme northern portions of Fairfield county. Ic…

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by Joe Lombardi